Islamabad: Shahid Afridi will captain Pakistan in Twenty20s until 2016 while Misbah-ul-Haq will remain the skipper for the World Cup next year, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced on Tuesday.
Afridi replaced Mohammad Hafeez, who stepped down after Pakistan's unimpressive performance at the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh this year. Afridi has led Pakistan in 19 T20s from 2009-11, losing 11 and winning eight. He was captain when the team reached the semifinals of the World Twenty20 in the West Indies in 2010.
He was removed as captain in 2010 after differences with the then-PCB chairman Ijaz Butt. "Afridi's bowling is very good in Twenty20s and we should back him," former captain Mohammad Yousuf told Geo Television. "He just needs to take the rest of his team-mates with him."
Afridi is the world's third highest wicket-taker in T20s, with 77 wickets from 74 matches, eight behind top wicket-taker Saeed Ajmal, who was has been suspended for a suspect action, and six behind fast bowler Umar Gul.
Misbah, 40, has captained Pakistan in 74 ODIs, with a win-lost record of 40-31. Pakistan is scheduled to play eight one-dayers and three T20s in the United Arab Emirates before the World Cup in February in Australia and New Zealand.
It will take on Australia in a one-off T20 and three ODIs, next month, then two T20s and five ODIs against New Zealand in December.
